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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Hammond talks to Top Gear co-star | Hammond talks to Top Gear co-star |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Top Gear's James May says he is convinced his fellow presenter Richard Hammond is "perfectly intact" after a conversation at his hospital bedside. | Top Gear's James May says he is convinced his fellow presenter Richard Hammond is "perfectly intact" after a conversation at his hospital bedside. |
| Mr Hammond suffered a "significant brain injury" when he crashed a jet-powered car at a speed of up to 300mph during filming near York. | Mr Hammond suffered a "significant brain injury" when he crashed a jet-powered car at a speed of up to 300mph during filming near York. |
| Mr May said it was not a long talk "but it was a conversation". | Mr May said it was not a long talk "but it was a conversation". |
| "I'm not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact," he said. | "I'm not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact," he said. |
| The accident is being investigated by the BBC, the police and the Health and Safety Executive. | The accident is being investigated by the BBC, the police and the Health and Safety Executive. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY He's a great presenter and I wish him a full recovery Steve Davies, Romford, UK Send us your messages | HAVE YOUR SAY He's a great presenter and I wish him a full recovery Steve Davies, Romford, UK Send us your messages |
| Mr Hammond, 36, was earlier moved out of intensive care at Leeds General Infirmary, where he has been since Wednesday, and doctors said he is making "satisfactory progress" | Mr Hammond, 36, was earlier moved out of intensive care at Leeds General Infirmary, where he has been since Wednesday, and doctors said he is making "satisfactory progress" |
| Doctors said his condition had changed from "serious but stable" to "stable". | |
| The doctors treating him have previously said they are "reasonably optimistic" he will make a good recovery. | The doctors treating him have previously said they are "reasonably optimistic" he will make a good recovery. |
| Mr Hammond's wife, Mindy, and Top Gear's other host, Jeremy Clarkson, have also been at his bedside. | Mr Hammond's wife, Mindy, and Top Gear's other host, Jeremy Clarkson, have also been at his bedside. |
| Mr Clarkson told the Sun newspaper that he had insulted Mr Hammond's driving skills - prompting a smile from Mr Hammond. | Mr Clarkson told the Sun newspaper that he had insulted Mr Hammond's driving skills - prompting a smile from Mr Hammond. |
| Scene of Richard Hammond's crash at Elvington airfieldEnlarge Image | Scene of Richard Hammond's crash at Elvington airfieldEnlarge Image |
| He also said Mr Hammond had no visible injuries following the ordeal he had been through other than a black eye. | He also said Mr Hammond had no visible injuries following the ordeal he had been through other than a black eye. |
| The presenter had been driving a jet-powered dragster similar to the Vampire - used by Colin Fallows to set the British land speed record of 300.3mph. | The presenter had been driving a jet-powered dragster similar to the Vampire - used by Colin Fallows to set the British land speed record of 300.3mph. |
| Mr Hammond had to be cut free from the car after eyewitnesses at the Elvington airfield near York described how he "veered off to the right" and the car's parachutes opened. | Mr Hammond had to be cut free from the car after eyewitnesses at the Elvington airfield near York described how he "veered off to the right" and the car's parachutes opened. |
| Vampire | Vampire |
| Primetime Land Speed Engineering, which is jointly run by Mr Fallows, supplied the car and a support team for the event. | Primetime Land Speed Engineering, which is jointly run by Mr Fallows, supplied the car and a support team for the event. |
| A spokesman for the firm said the vehicle Mr Hammond was driving "had been prepared and was being operated to the highest of standards". | A spokesman for the firm said the vehicle Mr Hammond was driving "had been prepared and was being operated to the highest of standards". |
| The BBC said in a statement that it had started an investigation into the accident and promised full co-operation with the HSE. | The BBC said in a statement that it had started an investigation into the accident and promised full co-operation with the HSE. |
| "We continue to be concerned about [Mr Hammond's] condition and we are keeping in touch with his family," the statement said. | "We continue to be concerned about [Mr Hammond's] condition and we are keeping in touch with his family," the statement said. |
| Top Gear has courted controversy in the past over its big-budget car stunts, and in 1999 a group of MPs criticised the series for being "obsessed with acceleration and speed". | Top Gear has courted controversy in the past over its big-budget car stunts, and in 1999 a group of MPs criticised the series for being "obsessed with acceleration and speed". |